PIERCE AND HAMILTON 404
by Kathy Knudsen1
Summary: Soapy wants Heyes to open a P & H 404. Heyes says it can't be done. But then again...


Hannibal Heyes was astutely aware that a man's eyes were the most honestly revealing detail of a man's face and that corners of a man's mouth were the second most revealing detail. He scrutinized these two features of every man seated at the poker table. This inside information assured him that four of the six other players would fold in the next round. A fifth man would raise once more, then fold, leaving only the well clad rancher vying against him for the pot.

"Fold,"

"Fold,"

"Fold,"

"I'll see your twenty, and raise you twenty,"

"Fold,"

"I'll see your twenty, and raise you thirty,"

Heyes gave his cards a quick glace before sliding them back in place. "I'll see your thirty, and raise you..." He looked at the rancher's eyes to confirm his confidence. "Fifty."

"Fold,"

The rancher looked at Heyes who intentionally let the left side of his mouth give a subtle twitch.

The rancher tossed fifty dollars on the pile of money. "Call. Let's see what you have Mr. Smith."

Heyes splayed his cards on the table and smiled. "Three Kings,"

The rancher tossed his cards on the table. "You play very good poker, Mr. Smith. I honestly couldn't tell if you were bluffing or not."

Heyes smiled as he gathered the money on the table and stacked it into one large pile. He stood, tucking the money in his vest pocket. "Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure and I'd like to buy you all a drink," he said, leaving a five dollar gold piece on the table. "But I'm afraid I must call it a night."

Kid Curry took a final gulp of his beer and pushed himself away from the bar when he saw his partner stand. When Heyes walked away from the poker table, Curry met him at the batwing doors and the two men stepped out into the cold night air.

"How much?" Curry asked as they crossed the street to the hotel.

"We can leave for San Francisco tomorrow, Kid."

Kid nodded, needing no additional information.

"What do you think Soapy wants us to do this time?" Kid asked as he removed his holster and hung it on the bedpost.

"Whatever it is, he said it was urgent... Maybe another sting operation."

Kid smiled. "You know, Heyes, those are actually kind of fun."

"I don't know as I would say fun, but certainly exciting. But Soapy is retired now. Whatever it is, I doubt it's going to be something as technical as a sting, Kid."

"What time does the train leave tomorrow?"

"Early. Ten-fifteen in the morning."

"The schedule doesn't have one of those little asterisks beside tomorrow's departure time, does it?"

Heyes smiled. "No, Kid. I checked it carefully. "We'll arrive in San Francisco at three in the afternoon the day after tomorrow.

Two days later Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry stepped off the train at the 3rd and Townsend Depot..Each had saddlebags draped over a shoulder and carried a bedroll. They both felt stiff and tired from the long ride. Heyes hailed a carriage that they both climbed into and Heyes gave the driver Soapy's Nob Hill address. Forty minutes later, Heyes rapped on Soapy's door.

The large mansion door opened. Soapy's butler, Charles stood waiting for the men to identify themselves.

"Joshua Smith and Thaddeus Jones to see Soapy." Heyes said.

Charles gave each of them a scrutinizing once over. "You were expected this morning. This way. Gentlemen," he said curtly and led them into the library. "Please, have a seat."

Heyes and Curry walked in to the library and Charles slid the door shut to go and inform Soapy of their arrival. The boys set their luggage down and strolled about the room. Kid was amazed by the size and elegance of the room, while Heyes was overwhelmed by the number of books that filled the shelves.

"It never ceases to amaze me that there are people who can actually afford to live like this, Heyes."

"Uh-uh," Heyes said, barely listening to Kid. His fingers gently caressed the shelf of leather bound classics. Heyes could not have been more awestruck had he been visiting the the Rembrandt paintings in the Louvre. When he came upon a shelf of leather bound Mark Twain books, Kid heard Heyes sigh longingly.

They both turned when they heard the library door sliding open and both greeted Soapy with warm smiles and handshakes.

"I was just admiring your book collection," Heyes said. "Very impressive."

"During your stay, Heyes, you certainly have free access to any of the books here," Soapy said.

Heyes smiled broadly. "Thank you, Soapy. I'm sure I'll take full advantage of your offer."

"Kid, you're welcome to them as well, although you won't be staying long."

"I won't?" Kid asked.

Soapy shook his head. "I'll be needing you to travel to Sacramento. I'll explain it all to your both momentarily. Would either of you like a sherry?"

Both politely declined. Soapy walked over to the liquor stand and poured himself a sherry before settling himself down in a chair at the large library table. " Please join me," he said, gesturing to the empty seats at the table.

Heyes and Curry crossed the room and each took a seat at the table.

"What's this all about, Soapy?" Heyes asked.

Soapy motioned to the oblong oak box that sat in the middle of the table. "Would you?" he asked Kid and Kid reached a hand out to the box and slid it across the table to Soapy.

"This box contains a rock valued at over half a million dollars," Soapy said,.

Kid whistled. Heyes smiled nervously.

"Must contain diamond, right?" Heyes asked.

"I does, indeed," Soapy replied. "In fact, this is the largest diamond ever found in this country. No other American diamond compares in size or value."

"And how did it come to be in your possession, Soapy? Surely you haven't been out digging for diamonds?" Heyes asked.

"You're absolutely right, Heyes. It was in the possession of a man by the name of Aaron Goldwell an... entrepreneur if you will, whose dealings primarily involve precious stones and ores."

Heyes uttered a nervous laugh. "Like diamonds, gold, maybe silver?"

"And platinum," Soapy added.

"You still haven't told us how it came to be in your possession, Soapy," Kid said.

"Quite by accident, I suppose"

"Accident?" Kid asked.

Soapy nodded. "I suppose that was the same way Aaron Goldwell came in to possession of it. You see, this diamond is a rather famous diamond in certain circles?"

"What circles?" Heyes asked.

"Well, high finance circles, of course."

"Of course," Heyes and Curry both said

"Museum curators are also quite familiar with it," Soapy added.

"Soapy... You're being awfully vague here. What exactly has this diamond got to do with Kid and me?"

"Well, Aaron Goldwell is in Sacramento. That's where you come in, Kid. You'll be going to Sacramento where you will wait for a telegram from Heyes. I can't send the telegram because I can't be connected to this in any way."

"Connected to what, Soapy?" Heyes asked, feeling his frustration beginning to rise."

"This diamond was stolen from the Francisco museum at least four years ago."

"And you are wanting to return it?" Heyes asked.

"No. I want you to return it, Heyes."

"Me? Why?"

"Well obviously I can't just walk in there and hand over the most valuable diamond in the country."

"But you want me to just walk in there and return it? Hannibal Heyes? Are you getting a little soft in the brain, Soapy?"

"I don't want you to just walk in there and return it. I want you to open the Pierce and Hamilton 404 and place the diamond inside. Then, whenever the next employee opens the safe, there it will be. No explanation necessary."

"There's a problem with that plan, Soapy," Kid said.

"And what might that be?" Soapy asked.

"I can't open a P & H 404!," Heyes shouted. ""No one can without the combination! I could nitro it, maybe, but that would be a break IN, and that would be a crime! Kid and me have gone straight, Soapy! Remember!"

Heyes took a breath to calm himself. "It simply can't be done, Soapy. I'm sorry."

"Heyes, in my study is a Pierce and Hamilton 404. You take all the time you need to learn to hear or feel the tumblers."

"That's the beauty of the 404. You can't hear or feel the tumblers. That's why it is the most reliable safe on the market."

"Heyes, take two days to work with the safe in my study. If, after that time, you are still certain that you can't open it, we'll sit down at the drawing board again."

"I have a question," Kid said. "If I am in Sacramento, who will Heyes' look-out be?"

"Kid's right. If I do attempt to open the 404, I need Kid as my look out. I trust Kid."

"Why can't I just send this Goldman..."

"Goldwell," Soapy interrupted.

"Goldwell. Why can't Thaddeus Jones just send this Goldwell a telegram telling him it's been returned?"

"I suppose that would be simpler," Soapy said. "Yes, alright, we could do that."

Heyes and Kid exchanged exasperated looks.

"Now, Heyes, will you at least try working with the safe in the library?"

Heyes looked at Kid. He let out a frustrated sigh. "Two days, Soapy. If I can't open it in two days, you'll have to find another way."

"Soapy, who actually stole the diamond in the first place?"

"No one knows. It was loaned anonymously to Mr. Gold well's firm for appraisal and possible sale. But no one came forward to retrieve it or obtain the appraisal information."

"Likely whoever stole it was arrested on some other charge, or died, or fled the country if the Pinkerton or Bannerman Agencies were hot on their trail," Heyes said.

"Heyes, if we get caught in the process of returning the diamond, everyone will think we were the ones that stole it," Kid said.

Heyes nodded. "And there goes our amnesty, Kid."

"Yep,"

"Soapy, neither you nor Goldwell know anyone with Pierce and Hamilton that you could bribe? They have to keep records of the combinations to the safes they sell. Goldwell probably has a Pierce and Hamilton, given the line of work he is in."

"Believe me, Heyes, Goldwell has tried. That's why he can't be the least bit connected to this plan. That company must scrutinize prospective employees very well. They cannot be bribed."

Heyes sighed heavily. Show me to the study, Soapy."

Heyes spent the rest of the afternoon trying to move the tumblers in the correct combination through the use of hearing and touch. When he joined Kid and Soapy for supper, he had nothing successful to report.

"Heyes, what about one of those rubber tubes that doctors use to listen to your heart?" Kid suggested.

"That might be worth a try, Kid. Where could we get hold of one of those things?"

"On short notice, maybe a doctor's office or a hospital," Kid said

"Not a doctor's office. They're too small. Someone would see us taking it if we could get access."

"Are you boys talking about a stethoscope?" Soapy asked.

Both men shrugged, not knowing the name of the instrument.

"Just a moment," Soapy said and got up and went in to his bedroom. He came back with a stethoscope in his hand. "Do you mean this?"

Heyes smiled. "Exactly." "I'll try that after supper."

Heyes worked for another three hours using the stethoscope to help him listen to the tumblers, but had no success.

"Soapy, do you have any encyclopedias?" Heyes asked when Soapy popped his head in to the study to say good night.

"Of course. In the library."

"Good. I'll look at them in the morning. Oh, here, you can have this back," Heyes said, handing Soapy the stethoscope. "The thought was good, but it's not working."

"You room is the second room on the left at the top of the stairs. Kid is in the first room."

Heyes nodded. "Alright, thank you Soapy. I'll see you in the morning.

The next morning, Heyes was up early and pouring over the encyclopedias. Now that he had committed to at least trying to crack a Pierce and Hamilton 404, his mind was racing, planning, calculating. He felt like the Devil's Hole gang leader again and the challenge of opening the safe was intoxicating to him.

"You been up all night?" Kid asked as he walked into the library with two cups of coffee.

"No. Been up for three hours though... Kid, I think I know how it can be done!"

"You think you know?"

"Well, I haven't put my idea into practice yet, but I will today. It if works... we might be able to pull this off."

"You'll be able to pull this off. I'm just the lookout, Heyes."

A devious smile spread across Heyes' face. "I might be able to pull this off."

Heyes spent the entire morning testing and retesting his idea. By lunch time, he was confident he could accomplish opening the safe. He presented the idea to Kid and Soapy at lunch.

"Returning the diamond is going to be a complicated process, involving no less than three, and perhaps more visits to the museum safe, the last visit being to return the diamond," Heyes said.

"Why so many visits to the museum?" Kid asked.

"Visit number one involves removing just the dial from the safe, placing a piece of paper behind the dial, and reattaching the dial to the safe. Next comes how ever many visits are needed to determine when the safe is next opened. When an employee opens the safe, using the combination, the combination will be registered on the paper. The next visit will be to retrieve the paper, meaning the dial will again have to be removed and reattached. The last visit will be to open the safe using the combination registered on the paper. There's an outside chance that the last two steps could be accomplished in one visit, but that really depends on how much time it takes to remove the dial, reattach it, trip the combination and return the diamond."

"And you successfully opened my safe?" Soapy asked.

Heyes smiled. "Three consecutive times, using a new piece of paper each time," he said proudly.

"Heyes, I think you're enjoying this too much. You don't want to go back to robbing banks just cause you can open a 404, do you?"

"No, Kid. The 404 is just one in a series. They'll be a tougher one in a year or two, and a tougher one after that. It's just not a lucrative career anymore."

"Good, cause you had me worried there for a minute."

"Kid, let's visit the museum this afternoon. Maybe we can get step one out of the way."

Heyes and Kid went to the museum an hour before closing. They separated; Heyes locating the safe, and Kid scouting out the security and determining the safest means of entering and exiting the museum after hours. The delivery door had both bolt and combination locks so Kid quickly discounted that as a possible entry point. The employee door was a simple lock and key and Kid was confident that Heyes could pick the lock quickly and efficiently.

"Might as well go back tonight to remove the dial and place the paper," Heyes said as they walked back to Soapy's house.

"Yep, no sense putting it off," Kid agreed.

At dinner, Heyes told Soapy the plan for the evening. "Tomorrow well spend the day at the museum. If someone opens the safe, we'll go back tomorrow night to get the paper with the combination. Then we'll decide when to return with the diamond."

"Heyes, I still think you are enjoying this way too much," Kid said with a grin.

"It does feel good, Kid."

Heyes and Kid slipped out of the house around ten pm. Heyes easily picked the employee entrance lock and they quietly entered the museum and went directly to the safe. Kid pulled a candle from his pocket and lit it to give Heyes the light he needed and Heyes skillfully removed the dial and slipped the paper behind it. Then he reattached the dial and shot Kid a triumphant smile. Kid rolled his eyes and shook his head. Heyes would always be a thief at heart...

The next day Soapy joined them for the trip to the museum. They separated and moved about slowly, as though deeply interested in the many artifacts. Late in the afternoon, Heyes spied the curator opening the safe. He smiled, shot a thumbs up to Kid, and went looking for Soapy. The three met at the entrance and headed back to Soapy's.

"When will you be going back for the combination?" Soapy asked at dinner.

Heyes looked at Kid and shrugged. "The sooner, the better, I suppose."

"Tonight?" Soapy asked.

"We spent so much time there today, we could have aroused suspicion," Kid cautioned.

"But, if someone opens the safe again before we get the paper, there will be another set of markings and I wouldn't know which holes are the right ones to open the safe. We have to risk it. We have to go back tonight."

Kid sighed. "Early or late?"

"Probable late. The later, the better, I think. We'll leave her around four."

"Alright," Kid sighed.

They arrived at the museum at four-fifteen AM and walked around the building, meeting at the employee entrance. Heyes picked the lock easily and they slipped quietly inside and headed for the safe. Kid lit his candle and held it close to the dial. Heyes worked with skillful hands and had the dial removed and the paper in his pocket within minutes. He reattached the dial and they quietly slipped out of the building and back to Soapy's.

"So now, when do you return the diamond?" Soapy asked at breakfast.

"Now we wait a few days. The employee entrance door will have been found unlocked two mornings in a row. That will raise a lot of suspicion. We have to let them find it securely locked for a few days so they will chalk it up to carelessness since nothing has been stolen from the museum," Heyes explained to Soapy.

"I know Aaron Goldwell will be getting quite anxious to have the diamond returned, as am I ," Soapy said.

"I know, Soapy. I know, but all the risk is in the returning of the diamond. If Kid and I are caught, we loose everything. We have to wait till we feel that it's safe to go back."

"I understand. I don't want you boys to loose your chance at that amnesty."

"Or go to prison fro twenty years, Soapy," Kid added.

Soapy nodded. "That too."

Four nights later, with the box with the diamond tucked safely in Heyes saddlebags that he wore slung over his shoulder, and the paper with the combination tucked safely in his vest pocket, Heyes and Kid returned to the museum, picked the employee entrance door, and slipped into the museum.

They knew the routine well. Kid lit the candle and held it close to the dial. Heyes removed the dial and slipped the paper behind it before replacing the dial. Then, with his ear pressed very close to the dial, Heyes worked the combination. When he felt confident, Heyes looked at Kid with a "here goes nothing' expression and turned the handle.

The safe opened and Heyes smiled proudly.

"Hurry up," Kid urged.

Heyes pulled the box from his saddle bags and placed it in the safe.

"Kid, there's a sizable amount of money in here."

"How much?"

"Maybe a couple thousand."

There eyes met, both men wanting to take the money. Both men knowing they couldn't.

"Another time, Kid, we could have done it,"

"Yea Heyes, those were the days."

Heyes smiled at his partner and shut the safe. Together they made a quick exit from the museum.

Is the telegraph office open all night?" Kid asked.

"I think so."

"Let's stop there and send that telegram to Goldwell," Kid said.

"Yea, that puts an end to all of this."

"Heyes, if you had figured out how to open a 404 ten years ago, we would likely still be outlaws," Kid said on the way home.

"Don't despair, Kid. We're still outlaws at heart," Heyes replied, swinging his arm over Kid's shoulder. "We'll always be outlaws at heart.


End file.
